The line that hits me the hardest is when Meteion is talking to you after The Final Day and says "there was never a single answer." Hermes' question and philosophy erred in one key way, he never looked for his own answer. He was always looking to others to give him a reason. You can't live a fulfilling life if you don't have your own reason to do so, you can't borrow purpose from someone else.
I cried so hard at this because I've had depression my whole life, too afraid to face this answer. I knew it the whole time. But confronting it was HARD. It still is hard but at least I know and accept it to be true. This shit changed my life lol.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with asking the question. Hermes was genuinely curious but he needed to have some form of basis for himself. Knowing what opthers live for is a wonderful thing but you can't take it wholesale for yourself and you need to be prepared for an unsatisfactory answer when you ask the question. It's not so much the question itself that's flawed, but the circumstance and it was asked in a vaccum with no other questions or context asked for.
@@ThingsStuffingtonyet you can if the circumstances are right. because in a sense us as the warrior of light make our purpose the purpose of all who live in eorzea
Did you notice, when meteion describes the races of stars, the camera cuts are very specific. Hermes: renouncing relationships. Emet: could not regain former glory. Hythlo: gave up on the future and themselves. Venat: found no joy without sorrow. and also how ironic it is that Emet Selch asks meteion who she is to decide our fates
I think many people do not notice or give enough credit to how camera work is used in ffxiv. ESPECIALLY in later expansions. So much effective story telling just in camera work.
The best part about Hades' rant about becoming a villain (around 1:20:00) is that at some point he also mentions that the Convocation has ways of discerning if someone's lying, so he *knows* you're telling the truth.
Minor correction: Venat wearing white robes is not an expression of her individuality. It is to demark her as a counselor, someone whose vast experience can be relied upon. The only other known Ancient wearing white robes is Themis, and again, it is because of the role he plays as a mediator within the Convocation. Think of it like an even rarer case of the red masks used to mark those of the Convocation apart from a regular person.
In lore this is true, but the fact that she’s the only Counselor in the 6.0 main story, and therefore the only one not dressed identically to the rest of the Elpis crowd, is notable on a thematic level
The saddest and scariest parts of Elidibus, Venat, Emet and even Hermes is that we can completely empathize with them, imagine ourselves in their shoes. See a bit of ourselves in every decision they made. And yet, we would not be able to truly say we would've done the same or done differently. It's a gnawing doubt at the bottom of a dark pit of a question about our own natures, and what we personally are capable of. If Hermes could cause so much destruction for these reasons, could we, potentially, do the same? The lack of a true answer to that question, that is the path to madness.
I appreciate the obvious effort put in to this monster of a video, but for real nearly disliked the video when he called close in the distance the worst song on the soundtrack.
@@OwenOrsetti I honestly chose to believe that he said it in sarcasm because I can't believe someone would think such an impactful song and that moment was the worst
4 hours of otherwise wonderful commentary about the tragic life of a somewhat underappreciated villain completely ruined by this one single terrible opinion. It's like you made a perfectly seared, perfectly cooked filet mignon, turned around to get some silverware out of your drawer, and when you turned back around you see that a fly has landed on it. Why, God, why did this have to happen
@@MRorizs2 I can see someone saying this and meaning it if only because of how close in the distance is somewhat emotionally damaging, which could make some people want to avoid it.
I've heard people ask "why doesn't Hermes just seek out Venat for support?". But when you're sufficiently depressed, it's easy to feel alone in suffering. It's easy to feel like the rest of the world is blissfully happy or shrugging off every problem like it's nothing. It's even worse when it's an existential issue. Feeling like the world you live in is fundamentally wrong can't just be medicated away. That's why talking about your feelings with sympathetic, supportive people (while being wary of people who seek to manipulate you,) taking action against the issue(s) that haunt you, and so on can be so powerful. If nothing else, it sure beats ruminating on if nuking ourselves out of existence is the most ethical choice.
The funny thing is that this is true, partially because it is a JRPG, partially because the Ascians lend themselves to themes of loneliness, alienation, fear of the unknown, and stuff related to that, which are solved by friendship.
Small note: Hermes was not just the God of Thieves. He was the God of Travelers and the messenger of the gods. In this capacity, Hermes is a perfect name for a man who sends his children on a long journey to hear and receive their message.
He also intends to "deliver" Meteion's message to the rest of Eitherys' people Edit: He's also key in creating Zodiark, mankind's "deliverance" That one's a bit weaker but still
"The thought of having to bear such a burden for a thousand _thousand_ lives horrifies me." This is what hits me the hardest. I've always said, back in Shadowbringers, that Hades (and of course Lahabrea and Elidibus) had to bear an unimaginably tormenting burden. The time span they spent apart from everything they loved, forced to live in the world of their perceived enemy (Hydaelin's new world order), living that reality every waking moment... our human minds simply cannot comprehend how terrible that is. Indeed horrifying. Hades himself says that he tried to live lives away from his duty, had families, settled down... but it never satisfied him. That terrible truth always gnawing at his mind... his sanity. The Emet-Selch we meet in Shadowbringers is so tired of it all. He WANTS to lose. It's a prelude to the hopelessness introduced on Endwalker, wherein every world died in suffering. He can't take it anymore... and sees the faintest glimmer of a possibility that YOU, the Warrior of Light, whom he perceives to be his lost friend Azem at the ultimate end, might just be able to save the world. And he finally lets go of everything, resolving to die rather than perform on this painful stage a single day longer. Absolutely tragic.
There was however a time where Emet-Selch grew hopeful within the adopted body and name of Solus zos Galvus as he held his son in his arms, Lucius yae Galvus. That hope had inevitably withered and died as soon as his firstborn son succumbed to an illness. So it's not that he'd *never* be satisfied, but moreso in that life just happened to unfortunately shit on him. Giving little chance of any satisfaction from those who may have proven their worth. Who knows what might have happened if Lucius lived a longer and happier life. "In the end, they were all just malformed creatures. Feeble, frail, and foolish. Thrashing blindly about in their fleeting, fragmented lives, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Never could they replace his brethren. Yet in spite of himself, when he cradled the newborn in his arms and stroked that downy hair, he could not help but hope. For what, he could not be certain, but he hoped nonetheless. It made little difference in the end, for his son had succumbed to some absurd illness and returned to the Underworld long before his time."- FFXIV Tales from the Shadows, Through his Eyes.
A note on Elidibus. He was not seperated by Hydaelyn's powers. He willingly seperated before the Sundering because he felt he was needed to diplomatically realign the Ancients after their splintering over the fate of the Star.
This expansion f*cked me up. I loved it, but the theme of..depression and existential dread amongst those that are happy or at least content with life and how it is....man it had me in emotional turmoil because it was all too real for me. Like I said I Loved endwalker but differently than I loved ShB ..and the rest of the game. This one asked so many questions that I think many people ask themselves too often. Many of us are Hermes trying to be a WoL
"Many of us are Hermes trying to be a WoL" nailed it in one, and possibly also an explanation as to why so many don't like Hermes because he acts as such a perfect mirror.
A fun side note about the dungeon: when you go in with the trust options, they use old versions of the jobs they play with old skills, which is fitting of them being from the past. I noticed this initially when I saw Emmet using skills on Dark Knight that were cut out in Stormblood, implying he was playing a version of the job closer to what was current in Heavensward.
This is unironically one of the greatest things I've ever watched. Up until I watched this, I had a somewhat empty feeling regarding the Endwalker story. I liked it, I thought it was good and pretty timely considering the state of the world, but it felt like it was missing something to me. Like it needed more exposition, more time to explore the topics. The actual problem was that I hadn't taken the time to sit down and actually digest what they were saying. I had dismissed much of what Hermes and Meteion were saying because I have been in those places before and thought is nothing more than the familiar but ultimately empty words of the depressed. In my own efforts to never allow myself to become that depressed again I had become the person who told them "just don't think about it". Now I am sitting at my computer at 2 am, writing out why I disagree instead of hand waving it. I owe it to my six years of therapy and to my past self. I owe it to my future self as well, just to show her how far we've come. So thank you for sharing this.
I love the idea that Fandaniel and Azem are opposites in the "losing their identity upon death" debate. Amon laments that every death is a reset of his identity and he loses himself every time. Whereas the WoL is described as being very like Azem, proving some things persist through reincarnation.
Can't believe you disliked the music for Ultima Thule. When I realized it was adding parts over time for who you lost, it was really fucking with me. Enjoyable retelling of the tale overall though
I just finished Endwalker and have heard some people call Ultima Thule music "Christian Rock zone," lol. So I get why some might find it a bit cheesy, but I still really love it. It made me cry when the lyrics kicked in and I've been listening to it lately, because it's my Scion music.
Not me crying over a story I already know and still getting chills from the moments you decided to highlight and not me getting emotional over a bunch of pixels. Can't be me. This was wonderful. Thank you so much for all your hard work on this project.
This and your garlemald essay were an absolute gift to happen upon. Thank you for putting this much love, attention, and hard work into sharing your feelings on this world and the stories it holds. 💚
Endwalker in many ways really helped me with some of my life issues, my ongoing battle with depression 20+ years in the running. Not only does it explore the darkest depths but reminds me (and us) the sliver of hope. I also like how Hermes/Fandaniel was the one character they introduced alongside Meteion. Meteion reminds us with inquisitive minds how grand and wonderful and mysterious the world was until certain experiences. Hermes being born with great power and privledges, as someone who had achieved and can achieve greatness, suffers so deeply for reasons he can't understand and that vicious cycle no doubt drove him to his eventual conlcusion. Meanwhile contrasted by the likes of Venat and even to a point Emet-Selch.... different perspectives and different means but similar in the way that they endure pain and sacrifice to see it through to the end. To me it's a nice sentiment.
A thought I had that I find really interesting and cool, not about Hermes but about Meteion, is that when she is connected to the shared contiousness, she constantly changes her voice and inflection, she may say a line in a low monotone voice, and then the next high pitch and plucky. Its a really intetesting detail not many people probably register, and I gotta give the english VA of Meteion some credit, that can’t be easy to do switching voices so seemlessly mid-monolouge like 5 times.
While Amon isn't Hermes, they do have traits in common. Both of them cared. Hermes is obvious. Amon? Amon saw his empire in stagnancy and saw that as a bad thing, so he resurrected Xande to breathe vitality back into his Empire. Both Hermes and Amon were also repelled by the people around them. Hermes by the obliviousness of the Ancients to the way they treated their creations. Amon? When watching his flashback to that noble who used one of Amon's creation to baleful polymorph a rival and gloat in his suffering, I very much got the impression that Amon found the man repellent. As far as Hermes and Amon were concerned, they were both surrounded by uncaring, assholes. Of course Amon wanted to end the world. Unlike Hermes, Amon grew up in a culture of assholes, and nothing he's seen since becoming Amon has raised his opinion of mankind in the slightest.
Not the impression I got from that flashback. It seemed like Amon initiated that process, possibly on order of the noble but nevertheless, and he was angered that he didn't see it as scientific progress but rather amusement
Hermes in the greek mythology is a psychopomp. An often forgotten part of his myth in the modern times. So its a surreal experience to me to see and experience this character.
Just finished listening to this whole thing at work. Excellent job. You’re the only person (so far) I’ve heard say Close in the Distance, Ultima Thule’s final theme as bad. But, to be fair, it’s G’raha singing, and he definitely reads as someone who would listen to Phil Collins . And, as someone who enjoys stinky cheese and G’raha, I love that song and everything it stands for. Another detail you missed that I love from the villain’s narrative is how Alisaie influences the final confrontation by accident from her heroic postering. You mentioned the Zenos part, but some miss that as soon as she claims the Scion’s ability to keep fighting Meteion was from them supporting each other as a team, Meteion *immediately* understands and merges with all of her countless sisters and begins to curb-stomp them effortlessly as the Endsinger.
Just wanted to add, that it is Venat/Hydaelyn who when figuring out this truth about the universe has a completely different view of it. The sort of nihilist vs existentialist view. Hydaelyn accepts this inevitable truth. That in the end all things die, that there is no inherent meaning. The only way to derrive meaning is to come up with your own answer. To suffer, to listen to others suffering, to pass down knowledge, and to be a community that will lift each other up when it inevitably happens. I think it was necessary for Hermes to find the truth, otherwise I actually think Etheris wouldn't have survived. I think the world would still have suffered the final days. Ignorance to what the Meteia discovered is not bliss. Hermes is right to say that turning away from the truth no matter how painful is wrong. The difference is the stance Venat and Hermes take on this truth.
I like how you characterize this, Venat agreeing with Hermes that turning a blind eye to the truth is wrong, but coming to a different conclusion. Great comment!
@@ZuldimYT thank you 😊 in that way the story stands in stark contrast to the Lovecraftian story setup. It says "is it truly better to be ignorant? To live in bliss without suffering?" Usually Lovecraftian stories say we are foolish to ever seek out the truth, a reflection of Lovecraft's fear of science and change. But Yshtola contests this, saying she would never regret in pursuit of knowledge. That she would accept and find meaning in the seeking of truth. She rejects the Lovecraftian idea that you should regret finding the truth, that it may not be the answer you want. Yshtola balks at this. She didn't become a scholar for her confirmation bias. The meaning IS the pursuit.
Brilliantly explained , and if I may add just one thing in that throughout the story venat and others also ask us if the journey was fun, at the end of years of story right before the end venat asking us if our journey was worth it feels like the writers asking us to self reflect on our own personal journeys as well. This expansion really made me stop and think at times.
@@durami4649 I actually had a big section on Venat asking us if the journey was worth it, and how that was a meta question about why we play MMOs, but it was a big pace killer so I had to axe it.
I don't think Emet and Hythlodaeus' energy was spent, it seems more like Emet Selch unmade them. Emet made it sound like they could continue living because of Venat's creation power, but chooses to unmake themselves and return to the aetherial sea. He appears content to let us inherit the star.
Zenos is the antithesis to Meteon. Whereas everyone has found a purpose that is bigger than oneself, Zenos found purpose within himself. The Scion wants to protect the star. Meteon wants to end the cycle of rebirth. Contrary, Zenos found meaning in a meaningless world, through a pursuit of his own ideals for his own sake. Alisae rebukes Zenos' purpose as immoral - yet his drive towards finding bliss against the WoL is what allowed Zenos to traverse through the stars to meet us again. Zenos' purpose may be different, but that doesn't make it any less important for that character which ultimately aided the WoL in beating the Endsinger.
Tbf, Alisiae doesn't necessarily call Zenos immoral, but more so says to Zenos that if he wants something from someone, then he has to stop acting absolutely selfish for said someone to give him the time of day that he craves. Otherwise, he would never get what he wants, which is related to said purpose. She had basically told Zenos to remember what he was like before meeting the WoL, when he had little to nobody. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that what Zenos said to Jullus is wrong and Alisiae was right. More so arguing that all three were right.
Hermes was a good man. He needed help, only to find none in Paradise. He suffered alone, only having his creation the Meteia and Meteion for some semblance of comfort. Irregardless of how his story went, I wanted to hug the man. He needed it, and to a meta extent we all needed it. For Meteion's part, I genuinely love how her villain change at the end of Ktisis Hyperboreia takes what Hythlodaeus says and puts a cruel dark twist to it. How death, in Ascian culture, is usually a beautiful moment. But hearing Meteion talk about laboring to annihilate all life on Etheirys as salvation and calling it beautiful is so good, like a messed up, flawed but still somewhat valid counterargument to the way Ascian's thought about death.
also,the point of Emet speaking as the developers-having played this game since beta,no pauses [faith in it all the while through the dark times and good times name in the end credits etcetc] I was like " omg..what could possibly be next...like as a game I know there's more but..what could there possibly be?? like Im at a loss " . Me and my friends were the same, we knew that Yoshi and the team wouldnt leave us hanging dry but I couldn't envision anything past the ff14 I had know for sooo mannyyy yearsss. ..So when Emet speaks to us and basically says " Oi! Have you seen this? been here?? know of these truths?! no?! See..so much more to see/live through, chin up" my heart was thumping so fast like omg..Im literally being talked to right now past my screen ,like...I got goosebumps with how the story writing was able to take me for a ride like that and have me feel those very feels at the exact time they wanted if not needed me to, to have that revelation at the time it was revealed..like man..That experience is unmatched right now.
Thanks for making this type of content. I thought to myself recently, if ff14s story is so great, why don't people make videos on it? And here we are! I appreciate you more than you know.
Thank you for the kind words, they mean a lot. FFXIV absolutely has one of the finest stories in all of gaming, and I hope I manage to explain why I love it so much with these videos. 😃
Honestly a lot of creators avoid it just to avoid spoilers. I think it is an interesting thing to look into tho I would love to see more stuff like this.
I definitely may have to send some of this content out to friends who don’t like MMOs lol. Just so they can hear the story without having to play the game
Thank you so much for putting this video essay together. You really hit on why the themes of Endwalker felt so personal to me. I went through so much suffering with personal things last year, yet it helped me with not giving up to despair and reminding myself that life is worth living. I hit a different kind of slump more recently that made me think on life worth living. Letting a lot of the cutscenes play out reminded me what made Endwalker so special to me. I felt for Hermes. It's why everything that went down hit me hard, I felt Hermes betrayed us all, yet I got him, no matter how flawed his intentions. It almost feels like one horrible accident. But maybe it takes a horrible accident to reveal the shadows within a paradise. I was so spent at the end of the Elpis chapter, I traveled through the areas all the way back to Old Sharlayan on foot, without teleporting like I'd do in any other case where I'd need to go to somewhere far away. I'll end this comment by saying this entire video essay made me appreciate the fight with Zenos at the very end of Endwalker even more than I already did. It felt like a culmination of the themes throughout the story, all in the bright sparks within those fleeting moments.
A very nice watch, but I'm going to have to make a small note on your intro explanation. Elidibus says that he withdrew himself from Zodiark, after his defeat at the Tower. From his position in/as Zodiark he could see his friends were feuding over the planet. His ~duty~ as Elidibus was to provide reconcilliation. So he pulled himself free from Zodiark. Which is likely what allowed Hydaelyn to gain the upper hand considering the will of Zodiark vanished, leaving the Primal just on 'auto pilot' and missing a chunk of power. In a sense, in his desire to fulfill his Duty and to help his friends Elidibus allowed the event that shattered the world...
I love your work. I will say you missed some lore on the white robes though. The white robes are a sign of the wearer being enlightened or highly respected. Given that Venat has presumably been alive for thousands and thousands of years, as well as the previous seat of Azem, it isn't hard to guess why she might be afforded that status. It's why Elidibus wears them too. Edit: just wanted to say shots fired on the "Close the Distance" track. The lyrics are, to me, rolled up with so much meaning. It makes literal sense for those to be the words of your allies egging you on. It also makes sense being testament from the denizens of Ultima Thule. Furthermore, it makes sense as a celebration of the closing of the story of Hydaelyn and the Ancients. Finally, I think it has a lot of meaning for Soken, who wrote it not long after his battle with cancer. I found it incredibly moving and every time I hear a new spin or cover it just gets better and better.
A small correction: Elidibus was not seperated from Zodiark by Hydaelyn, but rather by himself. He says so in his dying speech. He withdrew himself from Zodiark to once again be "Elidibus", the Emissary, because that was what his people needed him to be.
I think this is genuinely my favorite FFXIV video I've had the pleasure of watching, and the fact that you only have 178 subscribers means I get the pleasure of being the 179th. Greatly looking forwards to what you create going forwards!
Dawg you let me enjoy this video for 3 hours before dropping that Close in the Distance take? Very not tales of loss and fire and faith of you Great video overall. If I can offer a critique, it does stray from its original subject matter regularly, indulging in the plot of Endwalker which anyone watching an essay on Fandaniel should be familiar with. This critique aside, we FFXIV fans love ourselves a trip down memory lane, so I don't think it necessarily hurt the video.
I hear the criticism, but if I can respond to it briefly to give you an idea of why I chose to do that, it was my intention to create something that could be enjoyed by both hardcore FF14 fans, and people who had never played the game before. This might sound presumptuous, but I was shooting for a VaatiVidya type thing in that regard, because I've heard a sentiment from many of my friends that they'd love to understand why people are so in love with the story of 14, but just don't like playing MMOs, or don't have 300-400 hours to spare on playing an MMO. That reminds me a lot of how VaatiVidya has found success both among hardcore Soulsborne fans, and those who find those games too difficult, or not to their taste, or just don't find the experience of piecing item descriptions together to figure out what's going on, but still enjoy learning about the lore and story of those games. Obviously, FF14 is a very different game, it's not particularly difficult to experience the story from a technical skill level, and it tells its story very directly, but it is a big time sink, and it can be hard keeping track of everything with how vast and interconnected the elements of the lore are. I've heard firsthand from some people (real life friends mostly) who viewed both my first video on FF14, and this one, but do not play the game, that they appreciated having someone pull on one of the threads of narrative running through the game to help understand what exactly people like so much about it, since a lot of the conversation about Final Fantasy XIV is fans saying "this story is amazing, and you should play it!" and the sentence ends there. I hope this doesn't sound overly defensive, just wanted to explain why that choice was made. Thank you for watching!
Not defensive at all, you've given this a lot of thought. And since I realize I only articulated the criticism and not any praise, let me say this as well: you did an excellent job of putting form to a vague feeling I had about Fandaniel. When I first finished Endwalker, I loved Hermes but *hated* Amondaniel from the 80-83 section. However, in the months after the expansion, as I cooled on it, I grew fonder of Amondaniel with time. I think this is largely due to the crystallization of the idea that we got his character arc in reverse, which you explained excellently. Thanks for the video, it was a treat
I'm going to make it, I haven't decided if it'll be the next FFXIV video I make or not (I also have a few other ideas), but he's a really interesting character.
A thing I want to raise--Your response to Hydaelyn at the end of her trial of "We will find our way, Venat" is so much more meaningful when you go back to the cutscenes where you're looking for information about Hermes with her on Elpis and she has a one-on-one chat with you on top of a building's bridge. She says there that her journey can't end yet, not until she knows that humanity will be able to find its way and learn to live with despair and joy at their side. Only then will she find comfort in be consigned to rest. Telling her at the end that "we will find our way" is giving her our affirmation after thousands of years. That we remembered her words from that talk. And that she can finally rest.
Great video, I really love it and deep dive into characters the majority of the audience likes to ignore. There are a few things I would like to add, just food for thought. Amon shares a lot with Graha Tia in both identity and expectations of themselves. For example, both "revived" a legend to hopefully improve the current path of their world. They both had their souls blended with another version of themselves. Both had low self worth and hoped their "hero" would be an example the world needed. Yet they both came out completely different people on the outlook of life. Graha accepted his new identity while Amon did not. If anything I would say their choice of a "hero" influenced this. Graha had the WoL to shine a path forward for him to decide his own fate. Amon had Xande give only a dark future with futility and suffering and emptiness. I think the final scene of Amon in the lifestream was a self reflection of his life and how much "Amon" prefered his memories, specifically those that the WoL was present for, of the past over the ones he had in the Allagan empire. Kind of a scene of, "If Amon met someone like the WoL instead of Xande, maybe he would of had a better look on life" Which is how I saw the memories as being, overwritten. Which is why the final scene of looking for a path together makes sense in that context. Amon/hermes now sees he really messed up and an apology will not make up for it. So the punishment he can set for himself is to destroy his identity that he always tried to preserve.
You nailed it. I also saw some strong similarities in Amon/G'Raha and how they both attempt to revive a legend in order to save the world. I'd add that Amon decided unilaterally to revive Emperor Xande much in the way that Hermes unilaterally launches the Meteion into space and in both cases this leads to untold ruination. In contrast, the Crystal Exarch is able to use the Crystal Tower as a time/space machine only because of the cooperation of countless people in that timeline. And that's only because the WoL channels Azem in their ability to bring so many different people together. Where Amon/Hermes shut people out, the WoL unites and only through unity can one overcome the challenges of life. The ever creeping depression and despair.
@@sparthyslaysstuff2405 Yes, I love this comment thread. I also think the deep intentions matter a lot to differentiate them. G'raha was willing to give himself entirely away to fulfill his promise of saving the star by saving the WoL, while Amon seemed to really want to get Xande back because he felt empty without the Emperor e saw no way forward for the Empire, if not going back to the great era when Xande was alive. One is selfless and the other is selfish, even if it's not fully intentional or he wasn't fully aware of it.
I thought Fandaniel's character had some interest when he was introduced but it was only with the story of EW that he turned into one of my favorites in the game. He has a very interesting character arc compared to a lot of the other characters in the game. I think what finally made him into one of my favorites was when he was willing to sabotage his own plans just for the sake of curiosity.
Took a few days to reach the end of this but this was such an excellent video and I found a new appreciation for how thought out the themes of this expansion were. It's so easy to be vague and focused on sounding profound when it comes to this subject matter but there was a ton of thought that went into these belief systems and motivations to earn these payoffs. Hope to see more videos like this in the future
I think it's why Endwalker is so impressive. As you said, it's easy to sound vaguely profound, but Endwalker manages to be about something in a very specific and personal way, while still playing in a cosmic space.
Hermes and Venat are greater foils to each other than I originally thought. Both would (in far different manners) become the elder primals Zodiark and Hydaelyn. Both made decisions that irrevocably and fundamentally altered the world (allowing the Final Days to start/sundering the star) Both were very empathetic; Venat being uplifted by people's joy and by tales of adventure, while Hermes wallowed in their pain and despair as if it were his own. Venat fought up close with a sword. Hermes with a staff at a distance. Venat was retired from the convocation. Hermes hadn't joined until after the events in Elpis. Venat was proud and unafraid to be her own individual. Hermes was meek and was terrified of being an "aberration." Venat saw the best in people and the beauty in the world she lived. Hermes saw the worst and sought comfort from other worlds. Both had hope that mankind would overcome despair in the future. Hermes would lose his hope after being sundered and reborn, while Hydaelyn would hold hers.
Although I find you missed or misrepresented a few many details, I still enjoyed your overall essay. It is a good narration. Lore is a fun subject for many in XIV and discussion about it is always worth watching.
I dont know why I watched an almost 4 hours essay, but it was worth it. You have an exceptuonally good narrating skill, and the chapter were very coherent and well written, thank you. I hope i can see more ff14 content like this in the future.
What a beautifully done video on why I adore FF14's overall arching story as a whole, and why I love video game story telling in general. This was a profound analysis on such an underestimated character that, in turn, rekindled the spark of adoration I shared when first I played through Endwalker. Amazing.
Very well done. I watched your last FFXIV video on Garlemald and was looking forward to other FFXIV content, though I couldn't be sure there would be more, being new to the channel. I was shocked by the run time, lol, but I just finished it in one sitting tonight and really enjoyed it. However... Close in the Distance is a fantastic, moving song and you have crossed a line you can never uncross.
Small spoiler for something said around 3 hours in below. Never did I expect to laugh so loudly 3 hours into a cleverly and remarkably detailed character analysis, but the moment you said "a song from the Tarzan soundtrack" I lost myself for a moment there, I may disagree with how you dislike the song but man did I love the way you nailed that statement. Fantastic work and I intend to watch all your previous videos as soon I rewatch that part a few more times then finish it.
2 things... 1. What kind of monster doesnt call Venat "Mother"?! 2. What kind of monster hates the theme in Ultima Thule after Graha vanishes? This is actually a top 5 favorite song from the game for me (right up there with Oblivion, Beauty's Wicked Wiles, Metal: Brute Justice Theme) i think it really sets up both the game's theme and the emotions a lot of people are dealing with through the final area. Loss, and hope.
The first topic was also talked about in nier automata. An Android over the time of many years replaced his broken body parts with New ones and Was ask Ingo Himself if he is still himself
I know it doesn't really impact much from what I've heard you say, but knowing from the short Stories that came out recently telling us that The Watcher was created with us in Venat's mind kinda checks out that they knew about the flow of aether and its cracks where the Final Days were first appearing. Since we asked about it in Elpis, so Venat knew WE knew if that makes sense, and then effectively told ourselves something to help figure out a small piece of the puzzle
Fandaniel remind me a lot of Copy X from the megaman zero games, he was that, a copy of X with his memories and experiences, but that doesnt turned him into X, as Amon those wherent his memories, and as him, happen exactly the same, no matter how much you try to copy a soul you just cant, because what we are is what we lived and just giving that to a blank slate means nothing, the writes on FF never cease to amaze me really.
Zenos was really redeemed for me by Endwalker. He has no need of despair. Despair is for those without purpose. Zenos is nothing but purpose. He is a void containing that single fire. And in a sea of despair, of questions without answers and false revelations, he does not care. He’s here for what he’s here for. He is the blade that cuts the knot.
The Metea are a wonderful example of why pier reviews are important. Edit: An interesting note. What we see with Fandaniel is what we were warned might happen with G'raha. Amon didn't recognize Fandaniel's memories as his own.
Three hours into this video and it's now making fun of one of my favourite tracks from the game. Such an impactful moment and it hurts to have someone make light of it. If you didn't like it, it could have just been left unsaid... 😞
Finished the rest and overall thought it was great outside of those like 15s. Left a like and will probably watch more of your vids in the future. Thanks for making this!
@@JazzyByDefalt I realize now that bit came across as harsher than I'd intended, it was meant to be some light teasing towards a game I love having one song I don't care for. I certainly didn't mean for anyone to take it personally, so lesson learned. Thank you for watching!
This was REALLY good! Glad to see the movie Moon mentioned too, one of those that sadly got overlooked a lot back when it came out it seemed. Hermes' scene where he confronted the others about creatures being discarded for not being perfect hit me hard.
I love Moon so much, it's one of those movies I'm constantly getting other people to watch and they always love it. It was the first thing I saw Sam Rockwell in, and it might still be his best role.
Only an 1:40:00 in but I will say, I have NEVER done Ktisis with anything or anyone other than Emet, Venat and Hythlo. Because the whole arc of the area and the characters within made me just… Never be fulfilled without hearing their comments.
Rewatching the last bit for a while, I feel that there can be a little exploration on the Dead Ends duty. It feels like the first dead end is as the Meteion found it. Mired in sickness, its people only wanting to die and cursing ever having born. It probably gave rise to her idea that not 'not living' is the key but 'not being born at all' will solve issues and this particular one would have likely ushered the last living ones to their deaths. The second dead end was actually already at peace, but tenacious at best. Meteion shows up and the world government at the time immediately takes this as a sign that they are the One True Path and seeks to stamp out all last dissenting voices. This is probably a shock to the little bird that her very presence has caused an entire world to self-destruct. The final dead end was also as she found it and she could not understand. And eventually must have learned the lesson that no matter how wonderful you have it, it is all for nothing. But the clue there is on the level design. Have you noticed how rotten and desolate the ground UNDER the golden grasses ones you walk on is? This world was already rotten inside and its sentiment spread to Meteion whom the inhabitants started to worship for death; Ra-La sports some very familiar features to its form after all... Like how its wings extend from the head as ears for instance. We are being subjected to a few very key moments in the development of the Meteia's belief for how to bring us all 'salvation'.
Another theory about the world below in that last area: it kind of looked like the planet below was withering and crumbling. Not from disease or destruction, but from old age. Perhaps they had been immortal for so long that they had successfully outlived their planet.
I really appreciate the video because it helped summarize a lot of the key points that I had halfway forgotten since I last played the game. Just got back into it, and a lot of the memories and emotions got brought back by the video. And you had some really thought-provoking takes on what a lot of the scenes meant.
What an excellent video my friend. I love xiv so much, for so many reasons, but one I'll always cherish is this unified individualism. What I mean by that is each Warrior of Light are all our own person, yet we are all deeply connected through our shared experience through MSQ. It is such a beautiful thing to be able to bond with so many people who I've never met, yet as soon as you learn they're a fellow WoL you can feel like you've always known them since we've walked the same path. Sorry for the long winded comment but your video spoke to me in a way I struggle to put into words. What I can say is it impresses me that no matter how much time has passed, a lot of the scenes in MSQ makes my heart swell with emotions as much as my first time seeing them. One of my friends said that they feel like they've lived a 2nd life through MSQ, and man that's so relatable. When I look back on these scenes, it's like looking back meaningful memories of my life. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this video, your passion for the game and these topics ooze through the screen. I can't tell you the last time I took time out of my day to comment like this. God bless.
It's kind of serendipitous that I discovered your channel/this video when I started grinding my trust on the Ktsis Hyperboreia. I liked playing through Shadowbringers more than Endwalker, but the latter left a stronger impression. Shadowbringers was huge hype, but Endwalker kind of left me feeling haunted in a good way. Wonderful video essay, it's refreshing to see something more focused on Hermes/Fandaniel for once.
I relate so much to Hermes, and even went through my own arc to become a less murdery version version of Amon. Growing up I felt like the only one in my family who felt there is a problem. "You have a roof over your head, food on the table, and water to drink wtf do you have to be sad about? Stop being sad just be happy." kinda family. I was too ashamed and scared to say anything. Forced a smile on my face and forced all the negativity inside until it festered into numbness, and then toxic nihilism and despair. "Who are you to live? Who are you to hope? We tried, we tried but it was no use." line just hit me. But unlike everyone here I got therapy 😊.
i had to take a double take at 1:40:39 cuz you said we went in ktisis with fandaniel instead of hythlodaeus, but i guess such mistakes are inevitable if you're making a 4-hour long essay (essentially documentary) about him haha great video!! i look forward to more from you!!
Oh noooo! Yeah, this script was 57 pages, so I'm not shocked I flipped a name somewhere, oops. I recently noticed I refer to the "invasion of Garlemald" instead of the "invasion by Garlemald" at one point in my other XIV video, XD Thanks for watching!
The argument you start making around the 2 hour mark (Amon) is exactly why I do not believe the Crystal Exarch and G'raha Tia are the same person, nor will they ever be. They are different people. G'raha gains the memories but is not the same person.
That read is certainly support by G'raha Tia's dialogue with Stigma-1 at the end of the Omicron portion of Ultima Thule (which I mention in this video, but not in relation to G'raha's character arc)
This has me thinking about how job crystals and the convocation crystals probably function the same in that they’re built to hold and impart experience and skill. If the Fandaniel crystal is just like, say, a white mage crystal, then it’s no surprise Amon was still Amon to the core despite the new power. Then the crystal the Exarch left to you very much worked the same for G’raha, sending him from being a dinky archer sulking around for being to frail to handle level 50 stuff to a level 80 super mage skilled in every role.
Hythlodaeus acknowledges this when referring to WOL as his "new old friend" or whatever. same soul, different person. (The pronouns used should've been neutral as why would the reincarnation be the same gender? when we know that's not always the case. I get its narrative, but still) If it was just an empty vessel, it would be the same person only at the start, but it technically was 2 life experiences in 1 body. But also, I don't fully agree with the argument as this is an example of difference of detailed thinking and big picture thinking. Are you the same person? Yes. In a sense. Because there are variables. Same base. But if you want to say most of yourself is experience based, then we never are. But this denies some neurological constants.
Quick note: You + 7 calamities/rejoinings + The Greatest Bro Ardbert = 9/14, leaving only 5 remaining shards, which can't make a full party (against Endsinger or Hades). I can only assume, lore wise, they're meant to be other friends you met along the way.
6.2 spoilers: At this point, I'm of the opinion that Zero is the fragment of Azem in the Thirteenth, judging by how the WoL theme plays during a scene after she is brought back to Radz at the end of the current questline, and only a close up of her face is on the screen, by how she is just cut from a different cloth than all the other voidsent, and by how she physically reacts to the Crystal of Light created by Hyd/Venat/the previous Azem. If this is true, then there would only be four unaccounted for shards of our soul remaining. I don't know if the crystal of Azem's ability to summon seven warriors to aid us is really explained as anything more than a gameplay mechanic, though it's interesting to speculate. I kind of just thought it was imbued with creation magic, similar to how Elidibus summons a legion of warriors of light in the first to fight us.
The Rejoinings do not rejoin the souls, only the shards of the planet. That's why the Ascians would have sacrificed everyone to bring back their people whole. The Exarch specifically states he's calling "heroes from the rift" and it started with "let time compress" or something like that. That's other shards. We imitated that spell for Endsinger.
Small correction. Venat isn't us as Azem. The Azem we are is her successor. Same for her robes. She, like Themis/Elidibus, are clad in those to denote they are trusted for council in varying ways
Fantastic video! I came here after watching the Garlemald video, expecting to watch this one in a few sessions but I ended up watching it all in one sitting! While playing through EW Fandaniel became one of my favorite characters in the entirety of FF14 and your analysis made me appreciate him and his nuances even more. Thanks for the great content!
I remember when this video was first posted. Changed my brain chemistry forever. Ive been equally as satisfied with every video of yours i watched since. Thank you for making this, hope you’re having a good day/night! :-)
Love your FFXIV videos, hope you do more of it. Love the details you go into it. Marked your video before i finished endwalker, came back to avoid any spoilers.
A person who claims Close in the Distance is the worst song has never hear Good King Moggle Mog 500 times. Jk, but really, I think the song is a thematically perfect addition to Ultima Thule. Close in the Distance is an emotion-laden ballad in a place where emotion shapes reality. Here, at the edge of the universe, where the memories of the dead idle in despair, after losing all the adults of our companions, do we hear a song that speaks of memories, though faded, to help push us forward, to keep trekking on, to hold on to hope through great darkness. We hear it again in solitude, though the player is alone, the memories of our journey aids us, the voices of people we've met ushering us forward to confront the despair. What's interesting is that the Dead Ends uses a version of this song as its BGM. It highlights us not giving up in the face of all these tragic ends of civilizations. We hold fast to hope beyond the suffering, through ravaging pestilence breaking bonds, through unending conflict that's forgotten its purpose, through stagnant paradise that lives for nothing, feeling nothing. To live is to suffer, and we will still find joy with it by our side.
Personally, I LOVE this song, because thematically, it just hits all the right notes. On it’s own, the song… Wouldn’t be that big of a banger. The vocals are good and the instrumental stuff is delightful, but on it’s own it’s nothing particularly noteworthy. And the overpowering vocals take out a good bit of enjoyment from the instrumental side, since ya can’t really hear em over the constant drone of vocals. But. The moment you add that story in? All the layers are added in to make it beautiful, it’s the culmination of a several year journey that’s seen you rise to the occasion time and time again for one last fight against the very embodiment of despair. Just… I can’t capture how amazing it is, just because it is DRENCHED with hope, despite all the suffering, you can go on. Keep moving forwards, keep fighting on. I can respect that it isn’t their cup of tea. But it’s absolutely mine. Not everyone likes this flavor but I’ll down a gallon of it.
i used an addon to replace my gold saucer theme with good king moggle mog. i would rather listen to that 1000 times than hear a single fucking note of the gold saucer theme ever again.
Hahaha thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I wondered if people would take issue with my distaste for that song. In all seriousness, no judgement, it's just so extremely not my kind of song that I play a little minigame called "how quickly can I mount up" every time I'm in the zone.
@@ZuldimYT FWIW, you're not alone in your distaste for the song. There are dozens of us out there. Dozens! It's okay to not like something, even if it's a thing the entire fandom will rail against. We probably have different reasons for our dislike, but we're still at the same party. Cheers to your valid opinion.
I know very little about the game and have played it for probably less than 20 hours total but this was an incredibly enjoyable video. Kudos and thanks.
Awesome video! This made my Arr relic grind so much more pleasant. And this makes me appreciate Endwalker so much more then when I first finished it. Outstanding job!
The line that hits me the hardest is when Meteion is talking to you after The Final Day and says "there was never a single answer." Hermes' question and philosophy erred in one key way, he never looked for his own answer. He was always looking to others to give him a reason. You can't live a fulfilling life if you don't have your own reason to do so, you can't borrow purpose from someone else.
Even Emet told him, that his Questioning is flawed..
"You can't borrow purpose from someone else."
Alphinaud says something similar to Alisaie in the Binding Coil of Bahamut.
I cried so hard at this because I've had depression my whole life, too afraid to face this answer. I knew it the whole time. But confronting it was HARD. It still is hard but at least I know and accept it to be true. This shit changed my life lol.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with asking the question. Hermes was genuinely curious but he needed to have some form of basis for himself. Knowing what opthers live for is a wonderful thing but you can't take it wholesale for yourself and you need to be prepared for an unsatisfactory answer when you ask the question. It's not so much the question itself that's flawed, but the circumstance and it was asked in a vaccum with no other questions or context asked for.
@@ThingsStuffingtonyet you can if the circumstances are right. because in a sense us as the warrior of light make our purpose the purpose of all who live in eorzea
Did you notice, when meteion describes the races of stars, the camera cuts are very specific.
Hermes: renouncing relationships.
Emet: could not regain former glory.
Hythlo: gave up on the future and themselves.
Venat: found no joy without sorrow.
and also how ironic it is that Emet Selch asks meteion who she is to decide our fates
Oh! That's a really good detail. Shows how much thought went into the direction of this story.
I think many people do not notice or give enough credit to how camera work is used in ffxiv. ESPECIALLY in later expansions. So much effective story telling just in camera work.
4 hours of video essay about an underappreciated and tragic villian in EW? I'm in
The best part about Hades' rant about becoming a villain (around 1:20:00) is that at some point he also mentions that the Convocation has ways of discerning if someone's lying, so he *knows* you're telling the truth.
Minor correction: Venat wearing white robes is not an expression of her individuality. It is to demark her as a counselor, someone whose vast experience can be relied upon. The only other known Ancient wearing white robes is Themis, and again, it is because of the role he plays as a mediator within the Convocation. Think of it like an even rarer case of the red masks used to mark those of the Convocation apart from a regular person.
correct
In lore this is true, but the fact that she’s the only Counselor in the 6.0 main story, and therefore the only one not dressed identically to the rest of the Elpis crowd, is notable on a thematic level
The saddest and scariest parts of Elidibus, Venat, Emet and even Hermes is that we can completely empathize with them, imagine ourselves in their shoes. See a bit of ourselves in every decision they made. And yet, we would not be able to truly say we would've done the same or done differently. It's a gnawing doubt at the bottom of a dark pit of a question about our own natures, and what we personally are capable of. If Hermes could cause so much destruction for these reasons, could we, potentially, do the same? The lack of a true answer to that question, that is the path to madness.
Great video, but Close in the Distance it's a 100% certified banger
I appreciate the obvious effort put in to this monster of a video, but for real nearly disliked the video when he called close in the distance the worst song on the soundtrack.
@@OwenOrsetti I honestly chose to believe that he said it in sarcasm because I can't believe someone would think such an impactful song and that moment was the worst
@@OwenOrsetti Actually same
4 hours of otherwise wonderful commentary about the tragic life of a somewhat underappreciated villain completely ruined by this one single terrible opinion. It's like you made a perfectly seared, perfectly cooked filet mignon, turned around to get some silverware out of your drawer, and when you turned back around you see that a fly has landed on it. Why, God, why did this have to happen
@@MRorizs2 I can see someone saying this and meaning it if only because of how close in the distance is somewhat emotionally damaging, which could make some people want to avoid it.
I've heard people ask "why doesn't Hermes just seek out Venat for support?". But when you're sufficiently depressed, it's easy to feel alone in suffering. It's easy to feel like the rest of the world is blissfully happy or shrugging off every problem like it's nothing.
It's even worse when it's an existential issue. Feeling like the world you live in is fundamentally wrong can't just be medicated away. That's why talking about your feelings with sympathetic, supportive people (while being wary of people who seek to manipulate you,) taking action against the issue(s) that haunt you, and so on can be so powerful. If nothing else, it sure beats ruminating on if nuking ourselves out of existence is the most ethical choice.
That and Venat has the empathy of a dead fish.
Hythlo is obviously the best choice.
@@BeathemightyHythlo is a bro but what dialogue we do get from him shows that he is *not* the right guy for this one
Yeah...its a shame though because im sure, she would have understood.. in a way... her dialogue often implies agreement with Hermes
"well gang we did it.... this truly was the Final Fantasy XIV" brings me to tears everytime 😢
The real Final Fantasy XIV was the friends we made along the way.
@@ZuldimYT You're thinking Chaos.
The funny thing is that this is true, partially because it is a JRPG, partially because the Ascians lend themselves to themes of loneliness, alienation, fear of the unknown, and stuff related to that, which are solved by friendship.
Small note: Hermes was not just the God of Thieves. He was the God of Travelers and the messenger of the gods. In this capacity, Hermes is a perfect name for a man who sends his children on a long journey to hear and receive their message.
That's a very good point.
Agreed that the name Hermes works for the reasons you say, but in all honesty I think Zuldim’s choice is also excellent, and arguably better.
He also intends to "deliver" Meteion's message to the rest of Eitherys' people
Edit: He's also key in creating Zodiark, mankind's "deliverance"
That one's a bit weaker but still
The bird of Hermes is my Name .eating my wings to make me tame
😊
“Henceforth he shall walk” is one the hardest lines ever delivered in media
That is maaaaaybe my favorite line in the entirety of Final Fantasy XIV, if not media in general. It's SO. GOOD.
"The thought of having to bear such a burden for a thousand _thousand_ lives horrifies me."
This is what hits me the hardest. I've always said, back in Shadowbringers, that Hades (and of course Lahabrea and Elidibus) had to bear an unimaginably tormenting burden. The time span they spent apart from everything they loved, forced to live in the world of their perceived enemy (Hydaelin's new world order), living that reality every waking moment... our human minds simply cannot comprehend how terrible that is. Indeed horrifying.
Hades himself says that he tried to live lives away from his duty, had families, settled down... but it never satisfied him. That terrible truth always gnawing at his mind... his sanity. The Emet-Selch we meet in Shadowbringers is so tired of it all. He WANTS to lose. It's a prelude to the hopelessness introduced on Endwalker, wherein every world died in suffering. He can't take it anymore... and sees the faintest glimmer of a possibility that YOU, the Warrior of Light, whom he perceives to be his lost friend Azem at the ultimate end, might just be able to save the world. And he finally lets go of everything, resolving to die rather than perform on this painful stage a single day longer.
Absolutely tragic.
It's such a telling moment that post boss fight, he's no longer hunched, but standing straight up. Relaxed, even.
There was however a time where Emet-Selch grew hopeful within the adopted body and name of Solus zos Galvus as he held his son in his arms, Lucius yae Galvus. That hope had inevitably withered and died as soon as his firstborn son succumbed to an illness.
So it's not that he'd *never* be satisfied, but moreso in that life just happened to unfortunately shit on him. Giving little chance of any satisfaction from those who may have proven their worth. Who knows what might have happened if Lucius lived a longer and happier life.
"In the end, they were all just malformed creatures. Feeble, frail, and foolish. Thrashing blindly about in their fleeting, fragmented lives, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Never could they replace his brethren. Yet in spite of himself, when he cradled the newborn in his arms and stroked that downy hair, he could not help but hope. For what, he could not be certain, but he hoped nonetheless. It made little difference in the end, for his son had succumbed to some absurd illness and returned to the Underworld long before his time."- FFXIV Tales from the Shadows, Through his Eyes.
A note on Elidibus. He was not seperated by Hydaelyn's powers. He willingly seperated before the Sundering because he felt he was needed to diplomatically realign the Ancients after their splintering over the fate of the Star.
This expansion f*cked me up. I loved it, but the theme of..depression and existential dread amongst those that are happy or at least content with life and how it is....man it had me in emotional turmoil because it was all too real for me. Like I said I Loved endwalker but differently than I loved ShB ..and the rest of the game. This one asked so many questions that I think many people ask themselves too often. Many of us are Hermes trying to be a WoL
"Many of us are Hermes trying to be a WoL" That's a REALLY good way of putting that.
@@ZuldimYT that why i really like hermes/amon character arc so much
i feel relate to him and i like how flaw he was
“Many of us are Hermes trying to be a WOL”. Damn… i felt that line so much.
"Many of us are Hermes trying to be a WoL" nailed it in one, and possibly also an explanation as to why so many don't like Hermes because he acts as such a perfect mirror.
A fun side note about the dungeon: when you go in with the trust options, they use old versions of the jobs they play with old skills, which is fitting of them being from the past. I noticed this initially when I saw Emmet using skills on Dark Knight that were cut out in Stormblood, implying he was playing a version of the job closer to what was current in Heavensward.
Oh DANG that’s pretty sick!
You might say i'm a year late to this comment but...
YOU'RE TELLING ME POWER SLASH IS STILL IN THE GAME FILES??? AHHHRGHH DAMN YOU SQUARE!!!
@@ShikiRyougi05 if you ever do dungeons with squadrons you'll find out that even the classics from ARR still around in the game
This is unironically one of the greatest things I've ever watched. Up until I watched this, I had a somewhat empty feeling regarding the Endwalker story. I liked it, I thought it was good and pretty timely considering the state of the world, but it felt like it was missing something to me. Like it needed more exposition, more time to explore the topics. The actual problem was that I hadn't taken the time to sit down and actually digest what they were saying. I had dismissed much of what Hermes and Meteion were saying because I have been in those places before and thought is nothing more than the familiar but ultimately empty words of the depressed. In my own efforts to never allow myself to become that depressed again I had become the person who told them "just don't think about it". Now I am sitting at my computer at 2 am, writing out why I disagree instead of hand waving it. I owe it to my six years of therapy and to my past self. I owe it to my future self as well, just to show her how far we've come.
So thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for watching, and for your comment. It meant a lot to hear that something I've made impacted someone like this.
I must say, I love it when creators make the VERY long form essay videos. They go so much more indepth to topics and stories.
Perhaps the ship of Theseus is the friends we made along the way.
But if we replace every board in them are they still the same friends?
@@SigmaStudios7Do you carry your friends in your memories even when their gone?
Then the ship is still itself even when changed.
I love the idea that Fandaniel and Azem are opposites in the "losing their identity upon death" debate. Amon laments that every death is a reset of his identity and he loses himself every time. Whereas the WoL is described as being very like Azem, proving some things persist through reincarnation.
Can't believe you disliked the music for Ultima Thule. When I realized it was adding parts over time for who you lost, it was really fucking with me.
Enjoyable retelling of the tale overall though
I just finished Endwalker and have heard some people call Ultima Thule music "Christian Rock zone," lol. So I get why some might find it a bit cheesy, but I still really love it. It made me cry when the lyrics kicked in and I've been listening to it lately, because it's my Scion music.
Not me crying over a story I already know and still getting chills from the moments you decided to highlight and not me getting emotional over a bunch of pixels. Can't be me.
This was wonderful. Thank you so much for all your hard work on this project.
This and your garlemald essay were an absolute gift to happen upon. Thank you for putting this much love, attention, and hard work into sharing your feelings on this world and the stories it holds. 💚
Endwalker in many ways really helped me with some of my life issues, my ongoing battle with depression 20+ years in the running. Not only does it explore the darkest depths but reminds me (and us) the sliver of hope. I also like how Hermes/Fandaniel was the one character they introduced alongside Meteion. Meteion reminds us with inquisitive minds how grand and wonderful and mysterious the world was until certain experiences. Hermes being born with great power and privledges, as someone who had achieved and can achieve greatness, suffers so deeply for reasons he can't understand and that vicious cycle no doubt drove him to his eventual conlcusion. Meanwhile contrasted by the likes of Venat and even to a point Emet-Selch.... different perspectives and different means but similar in the way that they endure pain and sacrifice to see it through to the end.
To me it's a nice sentiment.
I have to appriciate that a fantasy game incorporates the Fermi Paradox and the Heat Death of the Universe.
And a mysterious energy that we see the effects of, but can’t interact with is similar to dark energy.
A thought I had that I find really interesting and cool, not about Hermes but about Meteion, is that when she is connected to the shared contiousness, she constantly changes her voice and inflection, she may say a line in a low monotone voice, and then the next high pitch and plucky. Its a really intetesting detail not many people probably register, and I gotta give the english VA of Meteion some credit, that can’t be easy to do switching voices so seemlessly mid-monolouge like 5 times.
While Amon isn't Hermes, they do have traits in common. Both of them cared. Hermes is obvious. Amon? Amon saw his empire in stagnancy and saw that as a bad thing, so he resurrected Xande to breathe vitality back into his Empire.
Both Hermes and Amon were also repelled by the people around them. Hermes by the obliviousness of the Ancients to the way they treated their creations. Amon? When watching his flashback to that noble who used one of Amon's creation to baleful polymorph a rival and gloat in his suffering, I very much got the impression that Amon found the man repellent. As far as Hermes and Amon were concerned, they were both surrounded by uncaring, assholes.
Of course Amon wanted to end the world. Unlike Hermes, Amon grew up in a culture of assholes, and nothing he's seen since becoming Amon has raised his opinion of mankind in the slightest.
Not the impression I got from that flashback. It seemed like Amon initiated that process, possibly on order of the noble but nevertheless, and he was angered that he didn't see it as scientific progress but rather amusement
Hermes in the greek mythology is a psychopomp. An often forgotten part of his myth in the modern times. So its a surreal experience to me to see and experience this character.
Just finished listening to this whole thing at work. Excellent job.
You’re the only person (so far) I’ve heard say Close in the Distance, Ultima Thule’s final theme as bad. But, to be fair, it’s G’raha singing, and he definitely reads as someone who would listen to Phil Collins . And, as someone who enjoys stinky cheese and G’raha, I love that song and everything it stands for.
Another detail you missed that I love from the villain’s narrative is how Alisaie influences the final confrontation by accident from her heroic postering. You mentioned the Zenos part, but some miss that as soon as she claims the Scion’s ability to keep fighting Meteion was from them supporting each other as a team, Meteion *immediately* understands and merges with all of her countless sisters and begins to curb-stomp them effortlessly as the Endsinger.
That's a really cool point about Alisaie giving the Meteia the idea for the Endsinger which I hadn't considered!
Jason Charles Miller sings close in the distance
Just wanted to add, that it is Venat/Hydaelyn who when figuring out this truth about the universe has a completely different view of it. The sort of nihilist vs existentialist view.
Hydaelyn accepts this inevitable truth. That in the end all things die, that there is no inherent meaning. The only way to derrive meaning is to come up with your own answer. To suffer, to listen to others suffering, to pass down knowledge, and to be a community that will lift each other up when it inevitably happens.
I think it was necessary for Hermes to find the truth, otherwise I actually think Etheris wouldn't have survived. I think the world would still have suffered the final days. Ignorance to what the Meteia discovered is not bliss. Hermes is right to say that turning away from the truth no matter how painful is wrong. The difference is the stance Venat and Hermes take on this truth.
I like how you characterize this, Venat agreeing with Hermes that turning a blind eye to the truth is wrong, but coming to a different conclusion. Great comment!
@@ZuldimYT thank you 😊 in that way the story stands in stark contrast to the Lovecraftian story setup. It says "is it truly better to be ignorant? To live in bliss without suffering?"
Usually Lovecraftian stories say we are foolish to ever seek out the truth, a reflection of Lovecraft's fear of science and change.
But Yshtola contests this, saying she would never regret in pursuit of knowledge. That she would accept and find meaning in the seeking of truth. She rejects the Lovecraftian idea that you should regret finding the truth, that it may not be the answer you want. Yshtola balks at this. She didn't become a scholar for her confirmation bias. The meaning IS the pursuit.
Brilliantly explained , and if I may add just one thing in that throughout the story venat and others also ask us if the journey was fun, at the end of years of story right before the end venat asking us if our journey was worth it feels like the writers asking us to self reflect on our own personal journeys as well. This expansion really made me stop and think at times.
@@durami4649 I actually had a big section on Venat asking us if the journey was worth it, and how that was a meta question about why we play MMOs, but it was a big pace killer so I had to axe it.
@@ZuldimYT I mean... I'm insane and will watch 5 hour video essays for fun so I would have loved it!
I don't think Emet and Hythlodaeus' energy was spent, it seems more like Emet Selch unmade them. Emet made it sound like they could continue living because of Venat's creation power, but chooses to unmake themselves and return to the aetherial sea. He appears content to let us inherit the star.
Zenos is the antithesis to Meteon. Whereas everyone has found a purpose that is bigger than oneself, Zenos found purpose within himself. The Scion wants to protect the star. Meteon wants to end the cycle of rebirth. Contrary, Zenos found meaning in a meaningless world, through a pursuit of his own ideals for his own sake. Alisae rebukes Zenos' purpose as immoral - yet his drive towards finding bliss against the WoL is what allowed Zenos to traverse through the stars to meet us again. Zenos' purpose may be different, but that doesn't make it any less important for that character which ultimately aided the WoL in beating the Endsinger.
based. thats why zenos will reappear!!
300 IQ comment.
Tbf, Alisiae doesn't necessarily call Zenos immoral, but more so says to Zenos that if he wants something from someone, then he has to stop acting absolutely selfish for said someone to give him the time of day that he craves. Otherwise, he would never get what he wants, which is related to said purpose.
She had basically told Zenos to remember what he was like before meeting the WoL, when he had little to nobody.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that what Zenos said to Jullus is wrong and Alisiae was right. More so arguing that all three were right.
Why am I discovering this channel just now? You, my good man, deserve subs.
Thank you!
Hermes was a good man. He needed help, only to find none in Paradise. He suffered alone, only having his creation the Meteia and Meteion for some semblance of comfort. Irregardless of how his story went, I wanted to hug the man. He needed it, and to a meta extent we all needed it.
For Meteion's part, I genuinely love how her villain change at the end of Ktisis Hyperboreia takes what Hythlodaeus says and puts a cruel dark twist to it. How death, in Ascian culture, is usually a beautiful moment. But hearing Meteion talk about laboring to annihilate all life on Etheirys as salvation and calling it beautiful is so good, like a messed up, flawed but still somewhat valid counterargument to the way Ascian's thought about death.
also,the point of Emet speaking as the developers-having played this game since beta,no pauses [faith in it all the while through the dark times and good times name in the end credits etcetc] I was like " omg..what could possibly be next...like as a game I know there's more but..what could there possibly be?? like Im at a loss " . Me and my friends were the same, we knew that Yoshi and the team wouldnt leave us hanging dry but I couldn't envision anything past the ff14 I had know for sooo mannyyy yearsss. ..So when Emet speaks to us and basically says " Oi! Have you seen this? been here?? know of these truths?! no?! See..so much more to see/live through, chin up" my heart was thumping so fast like omg..Im literally being talked to right now past my screen ,like...I got goosebumps with how the story writing was able to take me for a ride like that and have me feel those very feels at the exact time they wanted if not needed me to, to have that revelation at the time it was revealed..like man..That experience is unmatched right now.
Thanks for making this type of content. I thought to myself recently, if ff14s story is so great, why don't people make videos on it? And here we are! I appreciate you more than you know.
Thank you for the kind words, they mean a lot. FFXIV absolutely has one of the finest stories in all of gaming, and I hope I manage to explain why I love it so much with these videos. 😃
Honestly a lot of creators avoid it just to avoid spoilers. I think it is an interesting thing to look into tho I would love to see more stuff like this.
I definitely may have to send some of this content out to friends who don’t like MMOs lol. Just so they can hear the story without having to play the game
@@Stickarms99 I definitely made both of my FF14 videos (and will continue to make future FF14 videos) with accessibility for non-players in mind. 👍
Damn this was good. There are never enough multi hour long, in depth analysis video essays for me to binge. You got yourself a well deserved sub.
Thank you so much for putting this video essay together. You really hit on why the themes of Endwalker felt so personal to me. I went through so much suffering with personal things last year, yet it helped me with not giving up to despair and reminding myself that life is worth living.
I hit a different kind of slump more recently that made me think on life worth living. Letting a lot of the cutscenes play out reminded me what made Endwalker so special to me.
I felt for Hermes. It's why everything that went down hit me hard, I felt Hermes betrayed us all, yet I got him, no matter how flawed his intentions. It almost feels like one horrible accident. But maybe it takes a horrible accident to reveal the shadows within a paradise. I was so spent at the end of the Elpis chapter, I traveled through the areas all the way back to Old Sharlayan on foot, without teleporting like I'd do in any other case where I'd need to go to somewhere far away.
I'll end this comment by saying this entire video essay made me appreciate the fight with Zenos at the very end of Endwalker even more than I already did. It felt like a culmination of the themes throughout the story, all in the bright sparks within those fleeting moments.
A very nice watch, but I'm going to have to make a small note on your intro explanation.
Elidibus says that he withdrew himself from Zodiark, after his defeat at the Tower. From his position in/as Zodiark he could see his friends were feuding over the planet. His ~duty~ as Elidibus was to provide reconcilliation. So he pulled himself free from Zodiark. Which is likely what allowed Hydaelyn to gain the upper hand considering the will of Zodiark vanished, leaving the Primal just on 'auto pilot' and missing a chunk of power.
In a sense, in his desire to fulfill his Duty and to help his friends Elidibus allowed the event that shattered the world...
I love your work. I will say you missed some lore on the white robes though. The white robes are a sign of the wearer being enlightened or highly respected. Given that Venat has presumably been alive for thousands and thousands of years, as well as the previous seat of Azem, it isn't hard to guess why she might be afforded that status.
It's why Elidibus wears them too.
Edit: just wanted to say shots fired on the "Close the Distance" track. The lyrics are, to me, rolled up with so much meaning. It makes literal sense for those to be the words of your allies egging you on. It also makes sense being testament from the denizens of Ultima Thule. Furthermore, it makes sense as a celebration of the closing of the story of Hydaelyn and the Ancients. Finally, I think it has a lot of meaning for Soken, who wrote it not long after his battle with cancer. I found it incredibly moving and every time I hear a new spin or cover it just gets better and better.
A small correction: Elidibus was not seperated from Zodiark by Hydaelyn, but rather by himself. He says so in his dying speech. He withdrew himself from Zodiark to once again be "Elidibus", the Emissary, because that was what his people needed him to be.
I think this is genuinely my favorite FFXIV video I've had the pleasure of watching, and the fact that you only have 178 subscribers means I get the pleasure of being the 179th. Greatly looking forwards to what you create going forwards!
Thank you so much for the kind words, and the subscription!
Dawg you let me enjoy this video for 3 hours before dropping that Close in the Distance take?
Very not tales of loss and fire and faith of you
Great video overall. If I can offer a critique, it does stray from its original subject matter regularly, indulging in the plot of Endwalker which anyone watching an essay on Fandaniel should be familiar with. This critique aside, we FFXIV fans love ourselves a trip down memory lane, so I don't think it necessarily hurt the video.
I hear the criticism, but if I can respond to it briefly to give you an idea of why I chose to do that, it was my intention to create something that could be enjoyed by both hardcore FF14 fans, and people who had never played the game before.
This might sound presumptuous, but I was shooting for a VaatiVidya type thing in that regard, because I've heard a sentiment from many of my friends that they'd love to understand why people are so in love with the story of 14, but just don't like playing MMOs, or don't have 300-400 hours to spare on playing an MMO. That reminds me a lot of how VaatiVidya has found success both among hardcore Soulsborne fans, and those who find those games too difficult, or not to their taste, or just don't find the experience of piecing item descriptions together to figure out what's going on, but still enjoy learning about the lore and story of those games.
Obviously, FF14 is a very different game, it's not particularly difficult to experience the story from a technical skill level, and it tells its story very directly, but it is a big time sink, and it can be hard keeping track of everything with how vast and interconnected the elements of the lore are.
I've heard firsthand from some people (real life friends mostly) who viewed both my first video on FF14, and this one, but do not play the game, that they appreciated having someone pull on one of the threads of narrative running through the game to help understand what exactly people like so much about it, since a lot of the conversation about Final Fantasy XIV is fans saying "this story is amazing, and you should play it!" and the sentence ends there.
I hope this doesn't sound overly defensive, just wanted to explain why that choice was made. Thank you for watching!
Not defensive at all, you've given this a lot of thought. And since I realize I only articulated the criticism and not any praise, let me say this as well: you did an excellent job of putting form to a vague feeling I had about Fandaniel.
When I first finished Endwalker, I loved Hermes but *hated* Amondaniel from the 80-83 section. However, in the months after the expansion, as I cooled on it, I grew fonder of Amondaniel with time. I think this is largely due to the crystallization of the idea that we got his character arc in reverse, which you explained excellently.
Thanks for the video, it was a treat
would love to have an essay about zenos, there's so much to say in my opinion!
I'm going to make it, I haven't decided if it'll be the next FFXIV video I make or not (I also have a few other ideas), but he's a really interesting character.
Note: Ascians are the ones that have been tempered by Zodiark. In The World Unsundered the people are referred as Ancients not Ascians.
A thing I want to raise--Your response to Hydaelyn at the end of her trial of "We will find our way, Venat" is so much more meaningful when you go back to the cutscenes where you're looking for information about Hermes with her on Elpis and she has a one-on-one chat with you on top of a building's bridge. She says there that her journey can't end yet, not until she knows that humanity will be able to find its way and learn to live with despair and joy at their side. Only then will she find comfort in be consigned to rest.
Telling her at the end that "we will find our way" is giving her our affirmation after thousands of years. That we remembered her words from that talk. And that she can finally rest.
she cried, I cried. when I selected that option I couldn't IMAGINE choosing anything else
Great video, I really love it and deep dive into characters the majority of the audience likes to ignore. There are a few things I would like to add, just food for thought. Amon shares a lot with Graha Tia in both identity and expectations of themselves. For example, both "revived" a legend to hopefully improve the current path of their world. They both had their souls blended with another version of themselves. Both had low self worth and hoped their "hero" would be an example the world needed. Yet they both came out completely different people on the outlook of life. Graha accepted his new identity while Amon did not. If anything I would say their choice of a "hero" influenced this. Graha had the WoL to shine a path forward for him to decide his own fate. Amon had Xande give only a dark future with futility and suffering and emptiness. I think the final scene of Amon in the lifestream was a self reflection of his life and how much "Amon" prefered his memories, specifically those that the WoL was present for, of the past over the ones he had in the Allagan empire. Kind of a scene of, "If Amon met someone like the WoL instead of Xande, maybe he would of had a better look on life" Which is how I saw the memories as being, overwritten. Which is why the final scene of looking for a path together makes sense in that context. Amon/hermes now sees he really messed up and an apology will not make up for it. So the punishment he can set for himself is to destroy his identity that he always tried to preserve.
You nailed it. I also saw some strong similarities in Amon/G'Raha and how they both attempt to revive a legend in order to save the world. I'd add that Amon decided unilaterally to revive Emperor Xande much in the way that Hermes unilaterally launches the Meteion into space and in both cases this leads to untold ruination.
In contrast, the Crystal Exarch is able to use the Crystal Tower as a time/space machine only because of the cooperation of countless people in that timeline. And that's only because the WoL channels Azem in their ability to bring so many different people together. Where Amon/Hermes shut people out, the WoL unites and only through unity can one overcome the challenges of life. The ever creeping depression and despair.
@@sparthyslaysstuff2405 Yes, I love this comment thread. I also think the deep intentions matter a lot to differentiate them. G'raha was willing to give himself entirely away to fulfill his promise of saving the star by saving the WoL, while Amon seemed to really want to get Xande back because he felt empty without the Emperor e saw no way forward for the Empire, if not going back to the great era when Xande was alive. One is selfless and the other is selfish, even if it's not fully intentional or he wasn't fully aware of it.
God I'm so glad you mentioned the bit with Matsya, its such an underrated moment that hits so well on the themes of Endwalker
I thought Fandaniel's character had some interest when he was introduced but it was only with the story of EW that he turned into one of my favorites in the game. He has a very interesting character arc compared to a lot of the other characters in the game. I think what finally made him into one of my favorites was when he was willing to sabotage his own plans just for the sake of curiosity.
I always greet amon now when I'm in the crystal tower
Took a few days to reach the end of this but this was such an excellent video and I found a new appreciation for how thought out the themes of this expansion were. It's so easy to be vague and focused on sounding profound when it comes to this subject matter but there was a ton of thought that went into these belief systems and motivations to earn these payoffs. Hope to see more videos like this in the future
I think it's why Endwalker is so impressive. As you said, it's easy to sound vaguely profound, but Endwalker manages to be about something in a very specific and personal way, while still playing in a cosmic space.
Hermes and Venat are greater foils to each other than I originally thought.
Both would (in far different manners) become the elder primals Zodiark and Hydaelyn.
Both made decisions that irrevocably and fundamentally altered the world (allowing the Final Days to start/sundering the star)
Both were very empathetic; Venat being uplifted by people's joy and by tales of adventure, while Hermes wallowed in their pain and despair as if it were his own.
Venat fought up close with a sword. Hermes with a staff at a distance.
Venat was retired from the convocation. Hermes hadn't joined until after the events in Elpis.
Venat was proud and unafraid to be her own individual. Hermes was meek and was terrified of being an "aberration."
Venat saw the best in people and the beauty in the world she lived. Hermes saw the worst and sought comfort from other worlds.
Both had hope that mankind would overcome despair in the future. Hermes would lose his hope after being sundered and reborn, while Hydaelyn would hold hers.
Although I find you missed or misrepresented a few many details, I still enjoyed your overall essay. It is a good narration. Lore is a fun subject for many in XIV and discussion about it is always worth watching.
I dont know why I watched an almost 4 hours essay, but it was worth it. You have an exceptuonally good narrating skill, and the chapter were very coherent and well written, thank you. I hope i can see more ff14 content like this in the future.
Thank you so much for the kind words!
What a beautifully done video on why I adore FF14's overall arching story as a whole, and why I love video game story telling in general. This was a profound analysis on such an underestimated character that, in turn, rekindled the spark of adoration I shared when first I played through Endwalker. Amazing.
Very well done. I watched your last FFXIV video on Garlemald and was looking forward to other FFXIV content, though I couldn't be sure there would be more, being new to the channel. I was shocked by the run time, lol, but I just finished it in one sitting tonight and really enjoyed it.
However...
Close in the Distance is a fantastic, moving song and you have crossed a line you can never uncross.
I wasn't intending this video to be four hours when I started, but it got away from me.
@@ZuldimYT It was great. Thank you!
Small spoiler for something said around 3 hours in below.
Never did I expect to laugh so loudly 3 hours into a cleverly and remarkably detailed character analysis, but the moment you said "a song from the Tarzan soundtrack" I lost myself for a moment there, I may disagree with how you dislike the song but man did I love the way you nailed that statement. Fantastic work and I intend to watch all your previous videos as soon I rewatch that part a few more times then finish it.
I'm glad I made someone laugh with that bit, hahaha
2 things...
1. What kind of monster doesnt call Venat "Mother"?!
2. What kind of monster hates the theme in Ultima Thule after Graha vanishes? This is actually a top 5 favorite song from the game for me (right up there with Oblivion, Beauty's Wicked Wiles, Metal: Brute Justice Theme) i think it really sets up both the game's theme and the emotions a lot of people are dealing with through the final area. Loss, and hope.
The first topic was also talked about in nier automata. An Android over the time of many years replaced his broken body parts with New ones and Was ask Ingo Himself if he is still himself
I've been slowly going back through all of your FFXIV video essays, and I just have to say, they're such a joy to watch.
I know it doesn't really impact much from what I've heard you say, but knowing from the short Stories that came out recently telling us that The Watcher was created with us in Venat's mind kinda checks out that they knew about the flow of aether and its cracks where the Final Days were first appearing. Since we asked about it in Elpis, so Venat knew WE knew if that makes sense, and then effectively told ourselves something to help figure out a small piece of the puzzle
Fandaniel remind me a lot of Copy X from the megaman zero games, he was that, a copy of X with his memories and experiences, but that doesnt turned him into X, as Amon those wherent his memories, and as him, happen exactly the same, no matter how much you try to copy a soul you just cant, because what we are is what we lived and just giving that to a blank slate means nothing, the writes on FF never cease to amaze me really.
Zenos was really redeemed for me by Endwalker. He has no need of despair. Despair is for those without purpose. Zenos is nothing but purpose. He is a void containing that single fire. And in a sea of despair, of questions without answers and false revelations, he does not care. He’s here for what he’s here for. He is the blade that cuts the knot.
The Metea are a wonderful example of why pier reviews are important.
Edit: An interesting note. What we see with Fandaniel is what we were warned might happen with G'raha. Amon didn't recognize Fandaniel's memories as his own.
Hermes/Fandaniel is my favourite character in the entire game. The melancholy and later on Nihilism is so...entrancing.
I'm basically him whenever life feels like utter shit.
Three hours into this video and it's now making fun of one of my favourite tracks from the game. Such an impactful moment and it hurts to have someone make light of it. If you didn't like it, it could have just been left unsaid... 😞
Finished the rest and overall thought it was great outside of those like 15s. Left a like and will probably watch more of your vids in the future. Thanks for making this!
@@JazzyByDefalt I realize now that bit came across as harsher than I'd intended, it was meant to be some light teasing towards a game I love having one song I don't care for. I certainly didn't mean for anyone to take it personally, so lesson learned. Thank you for watching!
@@ZuldimYT ❤
This was REALLY good! Glad to see the movie Moon mentioned too, one of those that sadly got overlooked a lot back when it came out it seemed. Hermes' scene where he confronted the others about creatures being discarded for not being perfect hit me hard.
I love Moon so much, it's one of those movies I'm constantly getting other people to watch and they always love it. It was the first thing I saw Sam Rockwell in, and it might still be his best role.
Only an 1:40:00 in but I will say, I have NEVER done Ktisis with anything or anyone other than Emet, Venat and Hythlo.
Because the whole arc of the area and the characters within made me just… Never be fulfilled without hearing their comments.
"I see you opening"
@@ms.mittenz “Out of my way!”
Rewatching the last bit for a while, I feel that there can be a little exploration on the Dead Ends duty.
It feels like the first dead end is as the Meteion found it. Mired in sickness, its people only wanting to die and cursing ever having born. It probably gave rise to her idea that not 'not living' is the key but 'not being born at all' will solve issues and this particular one would have likely ushered the last living ones to their deaths.
The second dead end was actually already at peace, but tenacious at best. Meteion shows up and the world government at the time immediately takes this as a sign that they are the One True Path and seeks to stamp out all last dissenting voices. This is probably a shock to the little bird that her very presence has caused an entire world to self-destruct.
The final dead end was also as she found it and she could not understand. And eventually must have learned the lesson that no matter how wonderful you have it, it is all for nothing. But the clue there is on the level design. Have you noticed how rotten and desolate the ground UNDER the golden grasses ones you walk on is? This world was already rotten inside and its sentiment spread to Meteion whom the inhabitants started to worship for death; Ra-La sports some very familiar features to its form after all... Like how its wings extend from the head as ears for instance.
We are being subjected to a few very key moments in the development of the Meteia's belief for how to bring us all 'salvation'.
Another theory about the world below in that last area: it kind of looked like the planet below was withering and crumbling. Not from disease or destruction, but from old age. Perhaps they had been immortal for so long that they had successfully outlived their planet.
I really appreciate the video because it helped summarize a lot of the key points that I had halfway forgotten since I last played the game. Just got back into it, and a lot of the memories and emotions got brought back by the video. And you had some really thought-provoking takes on what a lot of the scenes meant.
What an excellent video my friend. I love xiv so much, for so many reasons, but one I'll always cherish is this unified individualism. What I mean by that is each Warrior of Light are all our own person, yet we are all deeply connected through our shared experience through MSQ. It is such a beautiful thing to be able to bond with so many people who I've never met, yet as soon as you learn they're a fellow WoL you can feel like you've always known them since we've walked the same path.
Sorry for the long winded comment but your video spoke to me in a way I struggle to put into words. What I can say is it impresses me that no matter how much time has passed, a lot of the scenes in MSQ makes my heart swell with emotions as much as my first time seeing them. One of my friends said that they feel like they've lived a 2nd life through MSQ, and man that's so relatable. When I look back on these scenes, it's like looking back meaningful memories of my life. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this video, your passion for the game and these topics ooze through the screen. I can't tell you the last time I took time out of my day to comment like this. God bless.
Great Essay! I'm so excited for the Zenos video. He's so underappreciated.
It's kind of serendipitous that I discovered your channel/this video when I started grinding my trust on the Ktsis Hyperboreia. I liked playing through Shadowbringers more than Endwalker, but the latter left a stronger impression. Shadowbringers was huge hype, but Endwalker kind of left me feeling haunted in a good way. Wonderful video essay, it's refreshing to see something more focused on Hermes/Fandaniel for once.
I relate so much to Hermes, and even went through my own arc to become a less murdery version version of Amon. Growing up I felt like the only one in my family who felt there is a problem. "You have a roof over your head, food on the table, and water to drink wtf do you have to be sad about? Stop being sad just be happy." kinda family. I was too ashamed and scared to say anything. Forced a smile on my face and forced all the negativity inside until it festered into numbness, and then toxic nihilism and despair. "Who are you to live? Who are you to hope? We tried, we tried but it was no use." line just hit me. But unlike everyone here I got therapy 😊.
i had to take a double take at 1:40:39 cuz you said we went in ktisis with fandaniel instead of hythlodaeus, but i guess such mistakes are inevitable if you're making a 4-hour long essay (essentially documentary) about him haha
great video!! i look forward to more from you!!
Oh noooo! Yeah, this script was 57 pages, so I'm not shocked I flipped a name somewhere, oops. I recently noticed I refer to the "invasion of Garlemald" instead of the "invasion by Garlemald" at one point in my other XIV video, XD
Thanks for watching!
Ah you're allowed to be wrong about Close in the Distance ;) In all seriousness, this video is a work of art. Thank you!
how do people not get to Ultima Thule and instantly /bgm? It's disgusting
The argument you start making around the 2 hour mark (Amon) is exactly why I do not believe the Crystal Exarch and G'raha Tia are the same person, nor will they ever be. They are different people. G'raha gains the memories but is not the same person.
That read is certainly support by G'raha Tia's dialogue with Stigma-1 at the end of the Omicron portion of Ultima Thule (which I mention in this video, but not in relation to G'raha's character arc)
This has me thinking about how job crystals and the convocation crystals probably function the same in that they’re built to hold and impart experience and skill. If the Fandaniel crystal is just like, say, a white mage crystal, then it’s no surprise Amon was still Amon to the core despite the new power.
Then the crystal the Exarch left to you very much worked the same for G’raha, sending him from being a dinky archer sulking around for being to frail to handle level 50 stuff to a level 80 super mage skilled in every role.
Hythlodaeus acknowledges this when referring to WOL as his "new old friend" or whatever. same soul, different person. (The pronouns used should've been neutral as why would the reincarnation be the same gender? when we know that's not always the case. I get its narrative, but still)
If it was just an empty vessel, it would be the same person only at the start, but it technically was 2 life experiences in 1 body.
But also, I don't fully agree with the argument as this is an example of difference of detailed thinking and big picture thinking.
Are you the same person? Yes. In a sense. Because there are variables. Same base. But if you want to say most of yourself is experience based, then we never are. But this denies some neurological constants.
Great video. Very informative.
Brave of you to be so wrong about the best song from the endwalker msq.
did i pause, roughly 20 minutes in, to go and watch your previous video on garlemald? yes, yes i did.
Nothing more amazong then have an existential crisis in the first 5 minutes of a video. 😂 thanks man
I like that WoW Comment at 3:29:37. The Deathwing Spine fight was hilariously stupid. lol
Quick note: You + 7 calamities/rejoinings + The Greatest Bro Ardbert = 9/14, leaving only 5 remaining shards, which can't make a full party (against Endsinger or Hades). I can only assume, lore wise, they're meant to be other friends you met along the way.
Oh weird, you're right. I'd never thought to do the math.
6.2 spoilers:
At this point, I'm of the opinion that Zero is the fragment of Azem in the Thirteenth, judging by how the WoL theme plays during a scene after she is brought back to Radz at the end of the current questline, and only a close up of her face is on the screen, by how she is just cut from a different cloth than all the other voidsent, and by how she physically reacts to the Crystal of Light created by Hyd/Venat/the previous Azem. If this is true, then there would only be four unaccounted for shards of our soul remaining. I don't know if the crystal of Azem's ability to summon seven warriors to aid us is really explained as anything more than a gameplay mechanic, though it's interesting to speculate. I kind of just thought it was imbued with creation magic, similar to how Elidibus summons a legion of warriors of light in the first to fight us.
@@nicholasgraves3149 The implication was that the Azem from the 13th is Unukalhai
The Rejoinings do not rejoin the souls, only the shards of the planet. That's why the Ascians would have sacrificed everyone to bring back their people whole. The Exarch specifically states he's calling "heroes from the rift" and it started with "let time compress" or something like that. That's other shards. We imitated that spell for Endsinger.
Small correction. Venat isn't us as Azem. The Azem we are is her successor.
Same for her robes. She, like Themis/Elidibus, are clad in those to denote they are trusted for council in varying ways
Wonderful video and it helped clear up something things I was little confused on after finishing Endwalker. Thank you!
Fantastic video! I came here after watching the Garlemald video, expecting to watch this one in a few sessions but I ended up watching it all in one sitting! While playing through EW Fandaniel became one of my favorite characters in the entirety of FF14 and your analysis made me appreciate him and his nuances even more. Thanks for the great content!
Thanks so much for watching!
I remember when this video was first posted. Changed my brain chemistry forever. Ive been equally as satisfied with every video of yours i watched since. Thank you for making this, hope you’re having a good day/night! :-)
Love your FFXIV videos, hope you do more of it. Love the details you go into it. Marked your video before i finished endwalker, came back to avoid any spoilers.
A person who claims Close in the Distance is the worst song has never hear Good King Moggle Mog 500 times.
Jk, but really, I think the song is a thematically perfect addition to Ultima Thule. Close in the Distance is an emotion-laden ballad in a place where emotion shapes reality.
Here, at the edge of the universe, where the memories of the dead idle in despair, after losing all the adults of our companions, do we hear a song that speaks of memories, though faded, to help push us forward, to keep trekking on, to hold on to hope through great darkness.
We hear it again in solitude, though the player is alone, the memories of our journey aids us, the voices of people we've met ushering us forward to confront the despair.
What's interesting is that the Dead Ends uses a version of this song as its BGM. It highlights us not giving up in the face of all these tragic ends of civilizations. We hold fast to hope beyond the suffering, through ravaging pestilence breaking bonds, through unending conflict that's forgotten its purpose, through stagnant paradise that lives for nothing, feeling nothing.
To live is to suffer, and we will still find joy with it by our side.
Personally, I LOVE this song, because thematically, it just hits all the right notes.
On it’s own, the song… Wouldn’t be that big of a banger. The vocals are good and the instrumental stuff is delightful, but on it’s own it’s nothing particularly noteworthy. And the overpowering vocals take out a good bit of enjoyment from the instrumental side, since ya can’t really hear em over the constant drone of vocals.
But. The moment you add that story in?
All the layers are added in to make it beautiful, it’s the culmination of a several year journey that’s seen you rise to the occasion time and time again for one last fight against the very embodiment of despair.
Just… I can’t capture how amazing it is, just because it is DRENCHED with hope, despite all the suffering, you can go on. Keep moving forwards, keep fighting on.
I can respect that it isn’t their cup of tea. But it’s absolutely mine. Not everyone likes this flavor but I’ll down a gallon of it.
i used an addon to replace my gold saucer theme with good king moggle mog. i would rather listen to that 1000 times than hear a single fucking note of the gold saucer theme ever again.
Zuldim, this video was incredible! But I'll drag you to the Wolves Den over Close in the Distance. >:(
Hahaha thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I wondered if people would take issue with my distaste for that song. In all seriousness, no judgement, it's just so extremely not my kind of song that I play a little minigame called "how quickly can I mount up" every time I'm in the zone.
@@ZuldimYT FWIW, you're not alone in your distaste for the song. There are dozens of us out there. Dozens! It's okay to not like something, even if it's a thing the entire fandom will rail against. We probably have different reasons for our dislike, but we're still at the same party. Cheers to your valid opinion.
I know very little about the game and have played it for probably less than 20 hours total but this was an incredibly enjoyable video. Kudos and thanks.
God I love this expansion, I don't even know how many times you made me cry just rewatching some of these cutscenes
52:37 "This scales you up to the size of the Ascians"
Dang, I never realized that happened. Being a lalafell, I didn't notice any size difference. 😂
you know its grim when two characters i resonated with far more than other were Zenos, and after i learned his story more, Fandanny ._.
Best Hermes video, weak opinion of Close in the Distance: 9/10
this video was great until 3:08:00 when the uploader proudly announced he had zero taste, otherwise well done excellent review
Ink Long Dry is one of my favorite tracks from the game, so I'm glad it is used as background music for a bit!
a wonderful video about one of my favorite villians !
Very excited to see your video on Zenos whenever you make it !!!
WOW! Thank you for this, I know it must have taken so much time. This video is easy to follow and eloquently put.
Uhh close in the distance IS in fact a banger sir
Phenomenal job on the video. Such a pleasure to watch it from start to y
This made me appreciate the Endwalker MSQ more than I already appreciated it, great essay.
Awesome video! This made my Arr relic grind so much more pleasant. And this makes me appreciate Endwalker so much more then when I first finished it. Outstanding job!